Saturday, December 27, 2008

If you have a Sony eReader, go to the following link, and they will offer you 9 free ebooks download, it's in the center of home page. http://ebookstore.sony.com/

FREE - Robin Cook's 'Foreign Body' Webseries on ITUNES / WebThe 50 episode 'Foreign Body' webseries is FREE on Itunes & the web. This is a prequel to Robin Cook's thriller 'Foreign Body' on medical tourism. On Itunes, the episodes are in the form of podcasts.Itunes: Just search for "Foreign Body" in Itunes and download the podcasts.

Each month, the ReadWriteThink.org Calendar offers quick classroom activities, lesson plans, Web links, and texts pertaining to various reading–related and general interest events. Here is a sampling of the links for January. There also are links relating to other noted authors and events, and more. For further information, visit the website. The ReadWriteThink.org is a nonprofit website maintained by the International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English with support from the Verizon Foundation, and in association with the Thinkfinity consortium. Visit the main site.

Friday, December 26, 2008

This post has been a long time coming and here I am tardy as usual. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. I want to give send a very big happy birthday to my mom, who is both my hero and has that special ability to make crazy. LOL! Love you mami!

I have so much to do today but I wanted to make a quick post before I go buy peas for my paella. I hope everyone takes advantage of all the great books sales after the holidays, they are calling today the second Black Friday of the year.

"A nine year old boy writes a hit book about dating and then sold the Film Rights: How to Talk to Girls

Twentieth Century Fox has optioned the rights to 9-year-old Alec Greven's How to Talk to Girls, the first of a four-book series from HarperCollins, which is a sister company to Fox. According to Variety, "The film deal encompasses all four volumes. The studio hasn't set a writer yet or assigned a producer . . . Fox bought the book preemptively, before Greven began logging airtime on TV shows including The Today Show and Ellen.""

"The Argentine

The Argentine, the first part of Steven Soderbergh's two-part movie on the life of Che Guevara (followed by Guerrilla), opens December 12. Benicio Del Toro stars in this biopic based on Che's diaries. The tie-in edition for both films is from Ocean Press, distributed by Consortium is available on January 1."

Free Gifts from Bleak House by Claire KirchBen LeRoy, publisher of Bleak House Books, a division of Big Earth Publishing, thinks nobody, no matter how dire their economic circumstances, should be deprived of gifts this holiday season so during the month of December, Bleak House Books, and its sister company, Intrigue Press, will give away more than 100 frontlist and backlist titles to readers, who, hopefully, will pass them on to others.“As I listened to a piece on NPR about shopping being down, and people stressing about not being able to give presents, it struck me: we’re ahead of projections, and this is one way we can help out. I can’t stuff [readers] with cash, but I can help them get books,” LeRoy said. Read on »"

WhichBook - Just finished another book and wondering what to read next? Head to WhichBook.net - a book suggestion tool that can recommend you what books to read next based on type of books you like. Read more: WhichBook - Online Book Suggestion Tool.

ThePlagiarismChecker - Check papers for plagiarism online. The site has something to offer both to students and educators. Students can use it to check their papers for missing citations before submitting them. Educators on the other hand may use it to check submitted projects and papers. Read more: ThePlagiarismChecker - Check Papers For Plagiarism.

Las Comadres, the Association of American Publishers and Borders have picked the 2009 reading list for las Comadres and Friends National Latino Book Club, which was launched in June. Every month at Borders stores around the country the book club discusses English-language works by Latino authors. (For more information, visit borders.com or lascomadres.org.)

Winter and the holidays are amongst us once again - and just like last year - I feel like bah, humbug! I really don't care for the cold weather (I am always cold even in the tropics) and the consumerism, gluttony and overindulgence of the season really revulse me.

This year I've made a plan and I am sticking to it. I'm getting fewer gifts and have really snipped the gift budget for almost everyone. I feel slightly anxious that the recipients will be dissapointed since they are accustomed to being showered with stuff but this time I really reigning myself in come what may.

It's not just the recession either. I want meaning and thoughtfulness to come accross - not here's this loofah or candle (because I had to get you something, you're picky and so I just gave up) sometimes I want stuff that money can't buy.
Many are suggesting books this year as the perfect gift and I couldn't agree more. Even there though, I want the insight to come accross - don't get someone a book because they like books so here's a couple to keep you busy - get someone a book that has meaning. Perhaps this is your favorite book or a favorite author's favorite, maybe it changed your life, maybe you read this book when you were that person's age, or maybe you loved it and so will they, maybe it's a biography of their hero or a topic that fascinates them... We could go on forever.

And, while I usually don't condone writing inside books (or god forbid, margins) I've always loved getting books with signed messages on the inside cover/flap. Even as a child, I loved opening a book and seeing the message that reminded me that Titi gave it to me for my birthday and so I always leave a message for the recipient inside the book - a little piece to remind them of the memory and a little bit of my love to treasure.

Anyway, before we get to sappy here - I just wanted to say in a world where people get trampled to death or shot over material items - let's keep things in perspective, that TV or that Wii may only last a dozen years (if that) while a meaningful gift like a book or an experience (like a trip) will last forever and keep on giving.

Literary Fiction – The Gifted Gabaldon Sisters by Lorraine Lopez Every character is simultaneously original and familiar.Poetry – Unfinished Portrait by Luivette RestoGrounded in the reality that is the U.S. Latino experience.Chick Lit – More Than This by Margo CandelaThough a happy ending is certain, you can't wait to get there.Thriller – Gunmetal Black by Daniel SerranoIf Elmore Leonard were Nuyorican this is the novel he would write.History – A Universal History of the Destruction of Books by Fernando BaezMind candy for the brainiacs in your life.Lifestyle – Practically Posh by Robyn MorenoThrifty tips on living well, perfect for our tough economic times. Cookbook – Simply Delicioso by Ingrid HoffmanFun and flavorful everyday meals that won't take all day to cook.Young Adult – Amor and Summer Secrets by Diana Rodriguez Wallach A Philadelphia princess goes to Puerto Rico and finds her Latinidad.Middle Grade – The Smell of Old Lady Perfume by Claudia Guadalupe MartinezThe original title gives a glimpse of the poetic lines peppered throughout this poignant debut.Picture Book - Sergio Makes a Splash by Edel RodriguezFinally—a charming tale that doesn't involve abuelitas, tamales or pinatas.

- A new book review site launched: www.ReaderSpoils.com. I believe you receive giftcards for each review you post.

- Also, don't make the Pumpkin Coconut pie listed in the previous post unless you put a twist on it. I made two for T-day and they had absolutely no flavor. I'm thinking that the recipe need some ground cloves, cinnamon or something.

Who is Literanista?

Valerie M. Russo Evans

New York, NY, United States

A native New Yorker born to Puerto Rican & Sicilian parents in Spanish Harlem's El Barrio, Literanista is a Social Media Strategist, a published poet/writer, has worked at Hachette Book Group, Aol, Thomson Reuters and scouts the web for multicultural literary news, tech trends, innovation, working on her debut novel & about a million other things.

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* All content on Literanista is strictly based on my sole personal opinion & beliefs & not those of my employer. I sometimes receive advance release copies of books, media, and products for promotion purposes.